Larry Lessig: Lawyer, activist

Harvard professor Larry Lessig is one of our foremost authorities on copyright issues, with a vision for reconciling creative freedom with marketplace competition. Larry Lessig, el abogado más conocido de la Red, cita a John Philip Sousa, derechos de propiedad celestial y el "cártel ASCAP" en su argumento para revivir nuestra cultura creativa.No expert has brought as much fresh thinking to the field of contemporary copyright law as has Lawrence Lessig. A Harvard professor and founder of Stanford's Center for Internet and Society, this fiery believer foresaw the response a threatened content industry would have to digital technology -- and he came to the aid of the citizenry. As corporate interests have sought to rein in the forces of Napster and YouTube, Lessig has fought back with argument -- take his recent appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court, fighting the extension of copyright protection from 50 to 70 years -- and with solutions: He chairs Creative Commons, a nuanced, free licensing scheme for individual creators. Lessig possesses a rare combination of lawerly exactitude and impassioned love of the creative impulse. Applying both with equal dedication, he has become a true hero to artists, authors, scientists, coders and opiners everywhere.http://lessig08.org/ "Lessig has built a reputation as the king of Internet law and as the most important next-wave thinker on intellectual property."New York Magazine

Timothy Horton (Australia)5000+ Integrated Design Commissioner, Tim Horton talks about the integrated Design Strategy for inner Adelaide Architecture & DesignTimothy Horton has worked as an architect in Sydney, Canberra and Los Angeles, starting his professional career at the NSW Government Architects Office with its prestigious cadet program. Tim moved to South Australia in 2005 to work on a succession of award winning civic projects including Uni SA’s Hawke Building on North Terrace and the Adelaide Zoo Entrance Precinct and Giant Panda Bamboo Forest with HASSELL. Tim has served as Chair of the National Practice Committee of the Australian Institute of Architects, as the South Australia Chapter President, and a National Councillor until he was appointed Commissioner for Integrated Design by the Premier in July 2010.

Richard BaraniukRichard Baraniuk is founder of Connexions, a free, open-source, global clearinghouse of course materials. People in some 200 countries tap into its vast store of texts on everything from engineering to ornithology to music, adapting the content as they see fit.Rice University professor Richard Baraniuk has a giant vision: to create a free global online education system that puts the power of creation and collaboration in the hands of teachers worldwide. He's realizing that vision with Connexions, a website that allows teachers to quickly "create, rip, mix and burn" coursework -- without fear of copyright violations. Think of it as Napster for education.Connexions' open-source system cuts out the textbook, allowing teachers to share course materials, modify existing work and disseminate it to their students -- all for free, thanks to Creative Commons licensing. Baraniuk envisions Connexions as a repository where the most up-to-date material can be shared and reviewed (it's far more efficient than waiting for a textbook to be printed); it could become a powerful force in leveling the education playing field. Currently encompassing hundreds of online courses and used by a million people worldwide, Baraniuk's virtual educational system is revolutionizing the way people teach and learn."[Connexions] is trying to reshape the way academe uses both peer review and publishing. The project also has hopes of becoming a major curricular tool at community colleges."Inside Higher Ed

Sustainable Affordable HousingOpen Source House aims to create sustainable and affordable housing for all with locally embedded design using natural materials. Including the wishes and needs of the end user and an assessment of the local current housing industry. The solutions are generated in the design competitions, are open source and are encouraged to be used by anyone to improve housing anywhere in any situation.OS House Activites· Start-up local companies to provide affordable/sustainable housing· Organise competitions for new locations· Stimulate local parties to use designs and adapt them to the local conditions· Realise 100,000 OS-Houses before the year 2020!Current Issues OS House works from the top down and the bottom up, as an issue driven organisation. Rapid urbanisation, wastage of resources, global warming, inefficient construction methods and unshared ideas are all part of the underlying problem. Generating choice is a priority, and the platform is a place where knowledge and creativity come together to address these issues.http://os-house.org/english/os-house/Home

With spectacular views towards the Copenhagen Canal and over Kalvebod Fælled’s protected open spaces, 8 House will not only be offering residences to people in all of life’s stages as well as office spaces to the city’s business and trade - it will also serve as a house that allows people to cycle all the way from the ground floor to the top, moving alongside townhouses with gardens winding through an urban perimeter block.Client / Developer St. Frederikslund DenmarkEnvironmental Engineer Moe & Brødsgaard DenmarkLandscape Architect KLAR DenmarkStructural Engineer Moe & Brødsgaard Denmark Can you imagine cycling up to your penthouse loft?With spectacular views towards the Copenhagen Canal and over Kalvebod Fælled’s protected, open spaces, 8 House will not only be offering residences to people in all of life’s stages as well as office spaces to the city’s business and trade - it will also serve as a house that allows people to bike all the way from the ground floor to the top, moving alongside townhouses with gardens winding through an urban perimeter block. 8 House’ 50,000 m2 accommodates 540 residential units. The base consists of 10,000 m2 businesses, spread out at street level alongside the surrounding main streets, and at the Northern court yard that houses an office building. 8 House is partly for rent housing and partly residential property varying from 65 to 144 m2.Two sloping green roofs totaling 1,700 m2 are strategically placed to reduce the urban heat island effect as well as providing the visual identity to the project and tying it back to the adjacent farmlands towards the south; 8 house is literally hoisted up in the Northeast corner and pushed down at the Southwest corner, allowing light and air to enter the southern courtyard – optimizing the daylight and natural heating for all inhabitants and users of the building and providing natural ventilation.8 House is where you will find the attention to detail embedded in a larger context. Here, closeness thrives in the 60,000 m2 building. This is where the tranquillity of suburban life goes hand in hand with the energy of a big city, where business and housing co-exist. 8 House is where common areas and facilities merge with personal life, and where you can reach for the stars at the top of the building’s green areas. The building’s housing program offers three kinds of accommodation: apartments of varied sizes, penthouses and townhouses. With a mix of suburban tranquillity and urban energy, the townhouse and its open housing is ideal for the modern family, while singles and couples may find the apartments more attractive. And for those who live life to the fullest, the penthouses function as a playground with fantastic views over the canal and Southern Copenhagen. The different housing typologies are united by the exterior dimensions which provide inspiration for adventures, inspiring communities. Partly inspired by classic townhouses as well as the open, democratic nature of functionalistic architecture. The architects have designed a long, coherent house with immense differences in height, creating a strong inflow of light and a unique local community with small gardens and pathways that channel your thoughts into mountains in Southern Europe and memories of a childhood home. The bow-shaped building creates two distinct spaces, separated by the centre of the bow which hosts the communal facilities of 500 m2. At the very same spot, the building is penetrated by a 9 meter wide passage that connects the two surrounding city spaces: the park area to the west and the channel area to the east. Instead of dividing the different functions of the building - for both habitation and trades - into separate blocks, the various functions have been spread out horizontally. The apartments are placed at the top while the commercial programme unfolds at the base of the building. As a result, the different horizontal layers have achieved a quality of their own: the apartments benefit from the view, sunlight and fresh air, while the office leases merge with life on the street.

A R C H I T E C T U R A L A L C H E M Y

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Award World Shopping Building of the YearThe showroom of the Decameron furniture store is located on a rented site in the furniture commercial alley in São Paulo. To make the quick and economic construction viable, the architect, worked with the premise of a light occupation combined with industrial elements, which could easily be assembled.Architect Mr Marcio Kogan studio mk27 BrazilArchitect Mrs Mariana Simas studio mk27 BrazilClient / Developer Mr Marcus Ferreira Decameron Design BrazilEnvironmental Engineer studio mk27 BrazilInterior Designer Mrs Diana Radomysler studio mk27 BrazilLandscape Architect Renata Tilli BrazilStructural Engineer Poughet Brazil glass window frames vitrocsa Switzerlandpolycarbonate window frames kiko esquadrias Brazilsanitery faucets interbagno Brazil Photograph by Pedro Vannucchi The showroom of the Decameron furniture store is located on a rented site in the furniture commercial alley in São Paulo. To make the quick and economic construction viable, the project worked with the premise of a light occupation of the lot, basically done with industrial elements, which could easily be assembled. The space was constructed through a mixed solution, with maritime transport containers and a specifically designed structure. Despite the spatial limitation imposed by the pre-determined dimension of the containers, the piece has impressive structural attributes that makes piling them possible. Two stories of containers form tunnels where products are displayed side by side. The ample span, necessary to show furniture in relation with each other, is constructed by a metallic structure. This space is closed, in front and in back, by double-height metal casements with alveolar polycarbonate. At the back of the lot, there is a patio filled with trees and a pebbled-ground. When both doors are simultaneously opened, the whole store becomes integrated with its urban context. At rush stressful hours, by opening only the back doors, the store becomes self-absorbed, ruled by the presence of the inner-garden. On the back of the site is the office, closed by a glass wall that enables the designers to take part on the sales life. Two edges of the design process in contact through the inner patio as other opposing strengths also meet at this small project: The intensity of the urban life and a small nature retreat, the power of the containers and the lightness of the metallic structure and finally, the linearity of the tunnels and the cubic volume.Award World Architecture Festival 2011 World Display Building of the YearNorwegian Wild Reindeer Center PavilionLocation Hjerkinn, Norway Architect SnøhettaArchitect Mr Erik Brett Jacobsen Snøhetta NorwayArchitect Mr Martin Brünner Snøhetta NorwayArchitect Mr Rune Grasdal Snøhetta NorwayPhotograph by Klaas Van Ommeren, Knut Bjørgum and Jan Olav Storli The Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion is located at Hjerkinn on the outskirts of Dovrefjell National Park, which rises 1200 metres above sea level and is home to Europe’s last wild reindeer herds and is the natural habitat for many rare plants and animals. The 90m² building, which features a rigid outer shell and an organic inner core is open to the public and serves as an observation pavilion for the Wild Reindeer Foundation educational programmes.Architect Mr Kjetil T. Thorsen Snøhetta Norway +4791368953 kjetil@snohetta.comArchitect Mrs Margit Tidemand Ruud Snøhetta Norway +4790094733 margit@snohetta.comClient / Developer Mr Jo Skorem Norsk villreinsenter Nord Norway +4795054755 jo.skorem@villrein.noContractor wood Mr Lars Djupvaag Djupvaag boat builders Norway lasse@djupevaag.noEnvironmental Engineer Mr Knut Bjørgum Snøhetta NorwayInterior Designer Mrs Heidi Pettersvold Snøhetta NorwayMain Contractor Prebygg AS NorwayProject Manager Mr Knut Bjørgum Snøhetta Norway +4790924564 knut@snohetta.comStructural Engineer Mr Trond Gundersen Dr.Techn. Kristoffer Apeland AS Norway trond.gundersen@kapeland.noSub contractor glass facade Mr Erik Stening Skandinaviske glass system Sweden erik.stening@skandglas.seSub contractor steel Mr Bjørn Lonbakken Lonbakken as Norway The Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion is located at Hjerkinn on the outskirts of Dovrefjell National Park, overlooking the Snøhetta mountain massif. The 90m2 building is open to the public and serves as an observation pavilion for the Wild Reindeer Foundation educational programmes. A 1,5km nature path brings visitors to this spectacular site, 1200 meters above sea level. Dovrefjell is a mountain range that forms a barrier between the norther and southern parts of Norway. It is home to Europe’s last wild reindeer herds and is the natural habitat for many rare plants and animals. Among the unique wildlife at Dovrefjell, the Musk Oxen herds are probably the main attractions for visitors. A long history filled with travellers, hunting traditions, mining, and military activities has left its mark on this land. In addition to the natural and cultural landscape, the Dovre mountain range also holds significant importance in the Norwegian consciousness. National legends, myths, poetry (Ibsen), music (Grieg), and pilgrimages celebrate the mystic and eternal qualities of this powerful place. The founding fathers of the Norwegian constitution are ”agreed and faithful, until the fall of Dovre!”This unique natural, cultural and mythical landscape has formed the basis of the architectural idea. The building design is based on a rigid outer shell and an organic inner core. Reminiscent of rock or ice eroded by wind and running water, the south facing exterior wall and the interior create a protected and warm gathering place, while still preserving the visitor’s view of the spectacular natural panorama. Considerable emphasis is put on the quality and durability of the materials to withstand the harsh climate. The rectangular frame is made in raw steel resembling the iron ore found in the local bedrock. Over time the rusted colour blends with the natural colours in the sourrounding mountains. The simple form and use of natural materials reference local building traditions. However, advanced technologies have been utilized both in the design and the fabrication process. Using 3D computer models to drive the milling machines, Norwegian shipbuilders in Hardangerfjord have created the organic forms from 10 inch square pine beams. The wood was then assembled in a traditional way using only wood pegs as fasteners. The exterior wall was then treated with pine tar while the interior wood has been oiled. The pavilion is a robust yet nuanced building that gives visitors an opportunity to reflect and contemplate this vast and rich landscape.Award World Architecture Festival 2011 World Health Building of the YearRehabilitation centre Groot KlimmendaalPhotograph by Rob t Hart - Rob het Hart FotographyIn the undulating forest landscape around Arnhem in the eastern part of the Netherlands, revalidation centre ‘Groot Klimmendaal’ can be found standing as a quiet deer in between trees. From a small footprint, the building gradually fans out towards the top and cantilevers out over the surrounding terrain. The care concept is based on the idea that a positive and stimulating environment increases the well-being of patients and has a beneficial effect on their revalidation process. The design ambition was not to create a centre with the appearance of a health building but a building as a part of its surroundings and the community.Location Arnhem, Netherlands Architect Architectenbureau K van Velsen BV, Hilversum, NetherlandsArchitectenbureau K van Velsen BV Hilversum Netherlands Architect Mr Koen van Velsen Architectenbureau K van Velsen BV NetherlandsClient / Developer Stichting Arnhems revalidatiecentrum Groot Klimmendaal NetherlandsEnvironmental Engineer Royal Haskoning RTB van Heugten NetherlandsMain Contractor BAM Utiliteitsbouw BV NetherlandsProject Manager Brinkgroep NetherlandsStructural Engineer DHV Building and Industry BV Netherlands This unique natural, cultural and mythical landscape has formed the basis of the architectural idea. The building design is based on a rigid outer shell and an organic inner core. Reminiscent of rock or ice eroded by wind and running water, the south facing exterior wall and the interior create a protected and warm gathering place, while still preserving the visitor’s view of the spectacular natural panorama.Considerable emphasis is put on the quality and durability of the materials to withstand the harsh climate. The rectangular frame is made in raw steel resembling the iron ore found in the local bedrock. Over time the rusted colour blends with the natural colours in the sourrounding mountains.The simple form and use of natural materials reference local building traditions. However, advanced technologies have been utilized both in the design and the fabrication process. Using 3D computer models to drive the milling machines, Norwegian shipbuilders in Hardangerfjord have created the organic forms from 10 inch square pine beams. The wood was then assembled in a traditional way using only wood pegs as fasteners. The exterior wall was then treated with pine tar while the interior wood has been oiled.The pavilion is a robust yet nuanced building that gives visitors an opportunity to reflect and contemplate this vast and rich landscape.Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion The Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion is located at Hjerkinn on the outskirts of Dovrefjell National Park, overlooking the Snøhetta mountain massif. The 90m2 building is open to the public and serves as an observation pavilion for the Wild Reindeer Foundation educational programmes. A 1,5km nature path brings visitors to this spectacular site, 1200 meters above sea level. Dovrefjell is a mountain range that forms a barrier between the norther and southern parts of Norway. It is home to Europe’s last wild reindeer herds and is the natural habitat for many rare plants and animals. Among the unique wildlife at Dovrefjell, the Musk Oxen herds are probably the main attractions for visitors. A long history filled with travellers, hunting traditions, mining, and military activities has left its mark on this land. In addition to the natural and cultural landscape, the Dovre mountain range also holds significant importance in the Norwegian consciousness. National legends, myths, poetry (Ibsen), music (Grieg), and pilgrimages celebrate the mystic and eternal qualities of this powerful place. The founding fathers of the Norwegian constitution are ”agreed and faithful, until the fall of Dovre!”In the undulating forest landscape around Arnhem in the eastern part of the Netherlands, revalidation centre ‘Groot Klimmendaal’ can be found standing as a quiet deer in between trees. From a small footprint, the building gradually fans out towards the top and cantilevers out over the surrounding terrain. Despite its size, the brown-golden anodised aluminium facade allows the nearly 14.000sqm building to blend in with its natural surroundings. Full height glazing along the central space connecting the various different internal elements of the building ensures an almost seamless continuity between interior and exterior. The meandering facade in the restaurant results in a building in between trees and invites the forest inside the building. The surrounding nature has a strong visual and tangible presence everywhere in the building; it allows the user to revalidate whilst walking. ‘Groot Klimmendaal’ is part of a masterplan also designed by Koen van Velsen. The masterplan envisages the area, largely built upon by one and two-storey buildings, to be gradually transformed into a public park landscape. The arrangement of the programme is clear. Below are offices, above are the clinical area’s and on the roof a Ronald McDonald House with its own identity. The double-height ground floor at entrance level facilitates the special elements of the programme such as a sports facility, fitness, swimming pool, restaurant and theatre. Not only patients but also family members and members of the local community (schools, theatre groups etc) use these facilities on a regular basis. As a result, both patient and building are placed at the centre of the community.The care concept is based on the idea that a positive and stimulating environment increases the well-being of patients and has a beneficial effect on their revalidation process. The design ambition was not to create a centre with the appearance of a health building but a building as a part of its surroundings and the community. Revalidation centre ‘Groot Klimmendaal’ radiates self-confidence and self-control. The welcoming and open environment offers a natural habitat for care but at the same time allows plenty of opportunity for other activities. The building is the result of an intensive collaboration between architect Koen van Velsen and the users of the building. For example, a shallow timber staircase runs the full internal height of the building and is typical for the new integral way of working. It facilitates a direct route between the different floors but also enables a variety of alternative routes roaming the building and thus forms an invitation to undertake physical exercise.A combination of large and small voids and light wells ensure a spatial connection between different levels and allow natural daylight deep in the heart of the 30metres wide building. Interplay of striking but subtle colours and direct and indirect (artificial) lighting enlivens the interior. The use of energy is amongst others reduced by the compact design of the building and the design of the mechanical and electrical installations. Most notably the thermal storage (heat and cold storage) contributes to the reduction of energy consumption. The choice of selecting sustainable building materials and materials requiring little maintenance for floor finishes, ceilings and facade cladding result in a building which can be easily maintained and with a long lifespan. The building has been custom made for its users but the design offers at the same time opportunities for different ways of using the building and the inevitable transformations of different departments within the client’s organization. Revalidation centre “Groot Klimmendaal’ is a coming together of both complexity and simplicity with attention for physical, practical and social details. Transparency, continuity, layering, diversity, the play of light and shadow and the experience of nature are all ingredients of this stimulating environment. Architectenbureau Koen van Velsen BV Hilversum, 27 June 2011Architect Koen van Velsen, son of a building contractor, profoundly investigates the questions posed to him by his clients, reformulates them, and responds with unexpected answers. In 1997 he won the Gerrit Rietveld prize for his Museum of the University of Utrecht, and in 2002 he won the prestigious BNA Kubus prize for his entire oeuvre. One of his latest projects is this new entrance of a museum complex. While the original request was to simply re-design the building entrance, he found that relocating it would be key to a entirely new master plan. Recently Van Velsen has been working on a huge plan for the Central Station of Breda, aiming to better integrate the station in the city. He was commissioned to singlehandedly design every element of the project himself, and was asked to pay special attention to how the buildings blended with their surroundings. This integrated approach can also been seen in Groot Klimmendaal, a Medical rehabilitation centre, for which he won several prizes. Commissioning editor: Geert van de Wetering, Producer: Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen, Produced by Submarine, Femke Wolting & Bruno Felix, Commissioned by DutchDFA, Research: Liselotte Francken, Director: Noud Holtman, Camera: Pierre Rezus, Sound: Eric Leek, Editor: Noud Holtman, Colorcorrection: Maurik de Ridder, Music Sound Design: Big Orange

Award World Architecture Festival 2011 — Future Project of the Year – CommercialWadi Rum ResortLocation: Jordan - Architect Oppenheim Architectrure + Design. Miami, USAA unique luxury accommodation where desert sand meets desert stone, engaging with the landscape with nominal impact and primal elegance. The boundaries between man-made and nature, interior and exterior are deliberately blurred to establish maximum impact.Environmental Engineer Sherwood Engineers United States of AmericaLandscape Architect Roberto Rovira Azimuth Studio United States of America 707.319.6149 RoviraR@fiu.eduStructural Engineer Omnispan Corp United States of America 626.449.6412Sustainability Consultant Savida AGSchneidergasse Switzerland Botanical and Biological Water Filtration System Living Machine System Worrell Water Technologies United States of America Wadi Rum Welcome / Photograph by Eric de Broche des Combes – Luxigon Through our winning international design competition entry for this most unique of hospitality concepts, we have been engaged in an opportunity to set forth a new benchmark for design, construction, quality and sustainability in the natural environment. Having enlisted some of the best consultants globally, our proposal attempts to reinterpret the way we have dealt with the earth. Here, where desert sand meets desert stone, we see a singular opportunity to devise a new contract between man and nature. Earnest and timeless, the architecture is simultaneously powerful, yet comfortable; primitive, yet innovative; casual, yet elegant; raw, yet refined. The project merges silently with its wondrous setting, exploiting and enhancing the natural beauty of Jordan to establish luxury lodge accommodations – that are uniquely beautiful and luxurious. The resulting experience is sensual and sensitive, intentionally reduced to what is essential – romantically establishing a primitive connection with the universe through bold, elemental forms, sincere materiality/detailing, and the florid use of Jordan’s bountiful natural resources both physical and ethereal. The conceptual point of departure has its roots in the tectonic and geological histories of the region. Through an engagement of the existing natural faults and fissures, the architecture is inserted in the landscape with nominal impact and primal elegance – synchronizing with the topography. The boundaries between man-made and nature, interior and exterior are deliberately blurred establishing maximum impact with minimum effort. Dramatically situated; yet, the lodges are nestled across the landscape – where architecture heightens rather than distorts ones awareness of the context. The lodges and villas in their various incarnations; rock lodge, spa lodge, tent lodge and reserve villa are all about space, not status; about connection, not dislocation with the awe-inspiring planet we inhabit. Their architectonic form responds directly to the rich regional cues: an evolutionary process that has established, over millennia, a clear and appropriate type that is in resonance with nature.Sustainability is imbued throughout the project’s life cycle – where intelligent planning provides innovative opportunities for energy and resource conservation, up-cycling (as opposed to re-cycling), waste, and healthy building initiatives – where ecology and sustainability set forth even greater guilt-free luxury, not self denial. The project will synergize with the environment – harvesting the power of earth, wind, and sun in a discrete; yet highly efficient manner. Passive means of cross ventilation, the natural cooling effect of the rocks, and proper siting allow the project to minimize energy consumption and maximize comfortable healthy living. Great care has been given to utilizing local materials as well as various water conservation measures for both human and site irrigation (beyond super efficient fixtures--dual flush toilets, low flow showers, etc.) – establishing a relatively closed system of harvesting rain water in subterranean cisterns and re-harvesting grey/black water though a living machine of botanical and biological nature. All systems and services will be completely integral to the design. “We have trained and heightened our senses to see, smell, taste, hear, and touch the mystical beauty of Wadi Rum. To uncover opportunities within the magical landscape to merge viscerally and emotionally with place by minimum effort and maximum effect. To uncover the inherent power of the desert through primal and instinctual design moves informed by the forces, rhythms and patterns of nature — past, present, and future. To reconsider our relationship to nature and to each other. To listen to our needs and fulfill our desires. To follow our hearts in order to find the soul of the project. To feel, to connect, to create the essence of Wadi Rum. --- Chad Oppenheim, AIA, LEED AP”Award World Architecture Festival 2011 — Future Projects Education

Women's Opportunity Center

Kayonza, Rwanda Architect Sharon Davis Design On a two-hectare site in Rwanda, the most densely populated country in Africa, the Women’s Opportunity Center is a change-making campus that empowers one small community and, in turn, reframes the way we as architects engage the world.Client / Developer Women For Women International United States of AmericaEnvironmental Engineer Eric Rothstein United States of AmericaStructural Engineer Arun Rimal United States of America On a two-hectare site in Rwanda, the most densely populated country in Africa, the Women’s Opportunity Center is a change-making campus that empowers one small community and, in turn, reframes the way we as architects engage the world. Created in collaboration with our client, Women for Women International — a humanitarian organization helping women survivors of wars rebuild their lives — this mini-village in Rwanda transforms unsustainable urban agglomeration and subsistence farming with an architectural agenda to create economic opportunity, rebuild social infrastructure, and restore cultural heritage. Change begins in the project’s very building blocks. Our design revives a lost Rwandan housing tradition with rich spatial and social layers. Its circular forms radiate from intimate classrooms to a community space, farmer’s market, guest lodging, and the civic realm beyond. Bricks are made from clay on site by the center’s future users, a process that creates income opportunities and spurs social solidarity. The innovative program includes a demonstration farm that helps women produce and market their own goods, manage a business, and fuel the local economy. Our global network of consultants tapped African entrepreneurs to create water purification, biogas, and other sustainable systems that can now be produced and maintained by Rwandans for Rwandans. Brick by brick, we are building big change. Now under construction, the Women’s Opportunity Center is a teaching tool that will ultimately empower 300 women annually to transcend a legacy of conflict. In their lives and stories, we have found the locally inspired grounds for a globally resonant architecture of optimism.Award World Architecture Festival 2011 — Future Project of the Year – Competition Entries

Glacier Discovery Walk

Location Jasper National ParkCanada Architect Sturgess ArchitectureCalgary, Canada The Glacier Discovery Walk is envisioned as an extension of the fractal landscape that defines the Columbia Icefields in Canada’s Jasper National Park. Located along the edge of this dramatic escarpment, the project weaves a continuous thread of experience through united geometric and material forms. This sinuous experience defines the Discovery Walk not only as a singular destination, but as a catalyst and gateway that empowers guests to immerse themselves in the untouched natural environment.Client / Developer Brewster Inc. Inc. CanadaElectrical Engineering Stebnicki + Partners CanadaEnvironmental Engineer Golder Associates Ltd. CanadaProject Manager PCL Construction Management CanadaStructural Engineer Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. Canada Glacier Discovery Walk The Glacier Discovery Walk is envisioned as an extension of the fractal landscape that defines the Columbia Icefields in Canada’s Jasper National Park. Located along the edge of this dramatic escarpment, the project weaves a continuous thread of experience through united geometric and material forms. This sinuous experience defines the Discovery Walk not only as a singular destination, but as a catalyst and gateway that empowers guests to immerse themselves in the untouched natural environment. The site’s complex cultural and physical landscape is the inspiration for the project’s design and materiality. The historical and ecological narrative of Canada’s National Parks necessitates innovation in materials and a sustainable approach to building. Weathering steel is used on all exposed non-horizontal surfaces to match the colouration of adjacent rock, while providing a maintenance and VOC-free material. Geologically, the thrust-fault movement in the area has created a fractal landscape that informs the larger formal gestures of the architecture. The angular forms, rusted hues and warm texture of Corten steel finish relate to the rocky outcroppings of the surrounding mountains, while the glazing mimics the glacial flow. The theme of rugged architecture is evident throughout the voyage of discovery, providing contrast between the subtle gesture and monumental idea that defines the Glacier Discovery Walk experience. The intent of the walk is not to be a destination, but a journey. The competition brief asked that there be no hierarchy of design, to allow a unifying experience between the Receiving Area, the Discovery Trail and the Discovery Vista. The structures along the Discovery Trail are restrained in their design and appear as ‘landscape’ objects, deferring to the beauty and grandeur of their natural surroundings. Articulated as crystalline interventions, the interpretive stations project from and recess into the rock face in response to the program and climactic conditions present at each specific location. This infrastructure is defined by angular forms of Corten steel plate providing shade and shelter while echoing the forms of the Receiving Area and the Discovery Vista. In contrast, the Discovery Vista projects from the shear face of the mountainside to allow visitors to experience the grandeur and scale of the glacier below. Architecturally, the broken geometry of the viewing platform is further accented by the eccentric horizontal suspended cable structure supporting the glass walkway.

Award World Architecture Festival 2011— Future Project of the Year – Experimental

The Tower of Nests

Location Shanghai, ChinaArchitect Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture AB, Göteborg, SwedenLocated in down town Shanghai, it is designed to be co-inhabited by humans and animals. Its outer skin is composed of natural materials to allow birds and bees to inhabit, yet providing a community space.Client / Developer Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture SwedenEnvironmental Engineer Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture SwedenStructural Engineer Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture Sweden roof surface green roof Veg tech Sweden Mankind faces a challenge comparable in size with the industrial revolution to build a sustainable society. In order to succeed, we need to learn how to coexist with nature. We propose a building that aims to become a symbol; not of power nor wealth, but of a new era of harmony and interplay between nature and mankind.The development trend of contemporary metropolises is to increase the population density. This leads to developing cities vertically instead of horizontally. Although increasing the population per unit area of the city may reduce the daily commutes, it reduces the daily interaction of people with green spaces, animals and insects. This creates a gray, dull city and may increase stress and depression among the inhabitants. Moreover, the diversity of animals and insects will be reduced significantly. On the other hand, building parks, as a suitable place for animals, may not be economically feasible due to the land price. In the era of “Green Architecture”, where building sustainable is becoming commonplace, what if the collection of green buildings could go a step further and actually become a functional habitat for birds and wildlife?To address all of these issues, we developed a new high-rise typology which is essentially integrating human and animal inhabitants in high-rise buildings. The design further elaborates a combination of rational, man-made apartments and natural, organic-formed bird nests on the facade of a skyscraper. Birds and insects are nature’s premier architects, using a disarranged form to build functional homes in which to live, reproduce and care for their young ones. Recycling sticks, branches, grass and mud to construct their shelters, they are undoubtedly the first creators of “Green Architecture”. Down town Shanghai was selected as the site of our proposed skyscraper, due to the fact that it is a suitable representation of a contemporary dense city. The tower is designed to be inhabited by humans as well as animals and insects, such as bees, birds and squirrels! It includes parking, commercial and residential areas and green indoor spaces. The building provides flexible plans by using a general module for wet zones, allowing the inhabitants to part their apartments to suit their specific needs. The outer skin is composed of a wide range of natural materials such as wicker, straw clay and stone. They provide good insulation and comfortable habitats for different species.The cross section of the tower consists of a central core which encloses circulation as well as mechanical equipments. The skyscraper’s lower levels which are made of stone, mud and straw clay, provide more solid facade for the wild and birds to inhabit; therefore, it is designed as a multistory parking. Top floors of the parking also provide spaces on the facade to be inhabited by bees! The next layer of the proposal provides more community oriented activities such as shopping center and public spaces. This layer has a U-shaped plan to allow birds as well as natural light to enter inside. Furthermore, it provides a green space for both humans and animals. Higher levels are intended to be residential. The higher level floor plans are made of sharp-edged apartments, surrounded by a ventilated faced made of wicker. The wicker facade starts from the commercial area to the top of the tower, allowing a height development for the future. Wickers are braided (woven) in various ways, forming the nests on the facade, allowing the window openings and ease of internal ventilation. The tower would poetically create closer and richer contact between humans and animals while accommodating them using the same environment. If their activities are done in the same architectural space, the natural environment becomes important to both. This will increase the responsibility in maintaining the environment, which both animals and humans use.Award World Architecture Festival 2011— Future Project of the Year – CulturalZhang Da Qian MuseumNeijiang, China Architect Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, BARCELONA, SpainOn April 2010, Excellence group invited EMBT to design Zhang Da Qian's museum in Neijang city, a purpose built museum to exhibit the work of the legendary Chinese painter in his home town. The design philosophy behind the museum would be to integrate the cultural essence of east and west and to express the past and the future and relate to the painter’s friendship with PicassoArchitect Evangelia Anamourlogluo Miralles Tagliabue EMBT GreeceArchitect Maria Ioanna Barka Miralles Tagliabue EMBT GreeceArchitect Ana Isabel Fernandes Miralles Tagliabue EMBT SpainArchitect Enrique Franco Miralles Tagliabue EMBT SpainArchitect Davis Gertners Miralles Tagliabue EMBT GermanyArchitect Qiwei Hu Miralles Tagliabue EMBT ChinaArchitect Claudia Paola Martinez Miralles Tagliabue EMBT MexicoArchitect David Mas Miralles Tagliabue EMBT SpainArchitect Vincenzo Messina Miralles Tagliabue EMBT ItalyArchitect Tomas Montis Sastre Miralles Tagliabue EMBT SpainArchitect Mirian Morcillo Matos Miralles Tagliabue EMBT SpainArchitect Francesca Origa Miralles Tagliabue EMBT ItalyArchitect Susana Oses Miralles Tagliabue EMBT SpainArchitect Felipe Pecegueiro da a Curado Miralles Tagliabue EMBT BrazilArchitect Igor Peraza Miralles Tagliabue EMBT VenezuelaArchitect David Ricardo Ramírez Miralles Tagliabue EMBT MexicoArchitect Javier Rivero Carnota Miralles Tagliabue EMBT SpainArchitect Gabriele Rotelli Miralles Tagliabue EMBT ItalyArchitect Vaiva Simoliunaite Miralles Tagliabue EMBT LithuaniaArchitect Pauline Suhr Miralles Tagliabue EMBT FranceArchitect Fabian Vargas Miralles Tagliabue EMBT SpainArchitect Verena Vogler Miralles Tagliabue EMBT GermanyArchitect and Director Benedetta Tagliabue Miralles Tagliabue EMBT SpainClient / Developer Excellence Real Estate (Group) Co; Ltd ChinaEngineer PGI SpainEnvironmental Engineer No SpainProject Director Mr Daniel Rosselló Miralles Tagliabue EMBT SpainStructural Engineer Julio Martinez Calzón MC2 Spain The painter Zhang Da Qian was born in Neijiang. He is known as the most legendary master of Chinese painting during the 20th century. The city is promoting it’s self by emphasizing Zhang Da Qian’s art, the idea is: “Da Qian home town, Culture in Neijiang.” The project, Zhang Da Qian museum is the first step. Purpose of the project is to exhibit Zhang Da Qian’s life, achievements in art, and contribution to Chinese and world art history. On April 2010, Excellence group invited EMBT to design Zhang Da Qian's museum in Neijang city, the painter's hometown. In 1956 Zhang Da Qian and Pablo Picasso met in Paris, where they exchanged ideas on art and initiated their friendship. Neijiang city would like to continue this friendship between the two artists, and moreover between the two cities where they were born, Neijing and Málaga. The design philosophy behind the museum would be to integrate the cultural essence of east and west and to built, expressing the past and the future. The site is located peak of Dong Tong Lu, Yuan mountain, west of Xi Lin monastery, south of Tuo River. The museum will be the landmark of the city. The museum will grow from an existing tea-house and will extend its pavilions over and around a garden that moves topographically on different levels, enclosing part of the old trees in its interior. The motives and gestures extracted from Zhang da Qian's painting will shape the forms of the laminated bamboo ribs that conform the vertical sections, while the interpretation that the Chinese painter did of Picasso face will inform the geometries of the plan. This merging of geometries from Picasso and Zhang Da Qian wants to emphasize their relationship that enhanced the two cities to perpetuate this friendship.

Award World Architecture Festival 2011— Future Project of the Year – Residential

Wafra Living

Location Kuwait Architect AGi Architects, KuwaitArchitect Mr Nasser Abulhasan AGi architects Kuwait +965 22230109 info@agi-architects.comArchitect Mr Joaquin Perez-Goicoechea AGi architects Spain +34 915919226 info@agi-architects.comClient / Developer Wafra Real Estate Co. KuwaitEnvironmental Engineer Gulf Consult KuwaitStructural Engineer Mr Arturo Macusi Arturo G. Macusi Kuwait The design for the “Wafra Living” complex, consists of a high rise building set back from the street and an L-shaped building defining the street edge, conceived to maximize privacy within the community, whilst providing ample natural light and usable indoor and outdoor common spaces. Cuts have been made in the front building in order to provide better views for the lower floor apartments in the back tower.The design for the “Wafra Living” complex, consists of a high rise building set back from the street and an L-shaped building defining the street edge, conceived to maximize privacy within the community, whilst providing ample natural light and usable indoor and outdoor common spaces. Cuts have been made in the front building in order to provide better views for the lower floor apartments in the back tower. The proposal combines at different levels domestic and collective scales, private and public, within the complex, whilst at the same time traces the way to merge in the neighborhood by offering part of the ground floor level (where the pedestrian and car access are) to community life through the retail facilities included. At level +6.00 m is created a “High Square”, a community space for the tenants to enjoy sports or any other leisure activities in a more private environment. A “veil” is created on the façade as an occupiable layer that conceals the various service spaces within the apartments that do not directly relate to the public. It is a unifying element throughout the project that is seen as a constructed space, rather than an aesthetic façade layer, that can be used for various purposes. It defines the whole compound as it starts on the 6th floor and grows, like ivy, vertically and horizontally, complementing the rest of the façade. It also serves to solve the needs for fi re egress and even as a walking path to the users. Thus this layer hosts the fi re escape stairs, separated away from the cores to be placed in this secondary circulation layer that faces the inner courtyard of the complex.Award World Architecture Festival 2011— Project of the Year – Master Planning

West Kowloon Cultural District Conceptual Plan

Location Hong Kong Architect Rocco Design Architects Ltd, Hong Kong

Photograph by Pak ChungThe proposed Conceptual Plan for the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) aspires to evoke a social energy conducive to the spirit of exploration and discovery, hence the essence for long-term sustainable cultural development for Hong Kong. The programmatic disposition of the master plan is structured on a 3-layer organization: green terrain (south), city link (north) and a cultural zone (centre) for the arts. Overlaid onto its framework is an urban street-grid. The Conceptual Plane aim is to offer a low carbon sustainable community.The proposed Conceptual Plan for the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) aspires to evoke a social energy conducive to the spirit of exploration and discovery, hence the essence for long-term sustainable cultural development for Hong Kong. The programmatic disposition of the master plan is structured on a 3-layer organization: 1) The Green Terrain at the south is a continuous undulating green lawn by the waterfront filled with leisurely retail and diners; 2) The City Link at the north fuses with the existing neighbourhood and accommodates spaces for living, working and all the commercial activities; 3) The Cultural Core in the middle unifies all the visual and performing arts facilities to promote participation by the locals as well as the overseas. This planning framework addresses the need for a cultural ecology to provide education, incubation, commercial supports and opportunities for production. The master plan concept focuses on promoting interactivities and synergies between different components of the new District. Overlaid onto the 3-layer framework is an urban street-grid extended from the adjacent neighbourhoods to confer a social and historic tie with the surrounding old neighbourhoods. A series of 3 dimensional public spaces each being strategically paired with a cultural venue evolve into a social network of diversity, inclusivity and interactivities to celebrate people’s cultural life prompted by the architectural settings. The Green Terrain on the south gently slopes down to fuse with the waterfront promenade on the south to reflect a 3-dimensional pedestrian traffic and circulation system. A Harbour Park is proposed at the western end which is a free-for-all outdoor open space with spectacular panoramic view of the Victoria Harbour. The Conceptual Plan aims to offer a low carbon sustainable community not just for artists but for the general inhabitants of the new district.

Award World Architecture Festival 2011— Infrastructure Project of the YearHanimaadhoo International AirportLocation Maldives Architect Integrated Design Associates LimitedHong KongClient / Developer GMR Airport Developers Ltd IndiaRenderer Crystal Computer Graphics Ltd Hong KongStructural Engineer Buro Happold Ltd United KingdomThe new airport, designated as the country’s second international gateway, is located on an island with very limited land mass for an international airport of this size. With airfield infrastructure consuming nearly all the available land our concept of a “floating terminal” has been selected by the Government for its innovative, exciting and eco-friendly approach. The proposed terminal is built entirely on stilts over water without reclamation to preserve the existing environment and the natural coastline. With blue sea, white sandy beach as backdrop the new airport aims to provide passengers with a unique and memorable travel experience.The new airport, designated as the country’s second international gateway, is located on an island with very limited land mass for an international airport of this size. With airfield infrastructure consuming nearly all the available land our concept of a “floating terminal” has been selected by the Government for its innovative, exciting and eco-friendly approach. The proposed terminal is built entirely on stilts over water without reclamation to preserve the existing environment and the natural coastline. With blue sea, white sandy beach as backdrop the new airport aims to provide passengers with a unique and memorable travel experience. All passengers arrive and leave the airport by boats. As a single level facility the new terminal is both convenient and easy to use. The modular terminal structure is designed for flexibility to grow according to traffic demand. Its north facing shell-form roofs, made of timber lattice supported on laminated timber arches to evoke the architectural vernacular of the area, brings in abundance of natural light. Passengers move through the building via covered bridges spanning over water, beaches and wait in lounges nestled amongst palm trees. The building has 50% of its area outdoor on decking for passengers to witness the rich marine life at sea level. Together with the use of natural ventilation, effective solar shading and hydro-thermal cooling this strategy greatly reduces the need for full air-conditioning. The ecologically sensitive design ensures that this will be one of the most energy efficient and environmentally sustainable terminal buildings in the world.Award World Architecture Festival 2011—Future Project of the Year–Health

Binh Chanh Pediatric Hospital

Location Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Architects VK, Roeselare, Belgium 2050 A+P, Vietnam Nhat My, Vietnam Acoustics Consultant VK BelgiumArchitect 2050 A+P VietnamArchitect Nhat My VietnamArchitect VK BelgiumClient / Developer Ministry of Health VietnamEnvironmental Engineer VK BelgiumInterior Designer VK BelgiumStructural Engineer VK BelgiumThe Centre presents a welcoming and open environment, offering a natural habitat for care whilst still allowing plenty of opportunity for other activities. The double-height ground floor at entrance level facilitates the rehabilitation process with a sports and fitness facility including a swimming pool, and also a restaurant and theatre. As well as patients, family members and members of the local community (schools, theatre groups etc) are invited to use these facilities on a regular basis. The meandering facade of the building allows the forest inside the building.We aim for a project with strong identity, where children feel at home as a patient and a child. We aspire to create a recognizable and open design, that has the potential of organizing the complex program in a clear structure. The design offers an abundance of air and light and an optimal relation between inside and outside. The healing environment offers to the children, as well as to their family and staff clearness and quietness, providing an essential support to the nursing program. PUBLIC HOSPITAL The location of the hospital is almost central in a new development area and therefore the hospital design will, together with its size, impact the masterplan development. In our area plan, a central, public square in front of the hospital accentuates the public function of the building. The main entrance of the hospital is orientated to the east side. This is the most convenient solution to avoid the free-way noise and smell pollution on the west, where waste collection and treatment is organized. Most traffic roads run in the north–south direction. To enforce an east–west movement for pedestrians, we create rectangular landscape features along informal footpaths to obtain maximum connectivity and communication between different healthcare facilities. We aim for a masterplan with good image quality, with unique features that give each place its specific identity. SCULPTURAL LANDSCAPE It's a delicate matter to reconcile a landscape and an extensive and complex hospital program. In our design, the landscape prevails as the always returning background for every perspective and every view. The artificial landscape is characterized by an organic shaped slope in the east–west direction, a buffer between the free-way and the rest of the masterplan. It also creates additional external areas on the hospital site. Small-scaled flower-shaped buildings cover the sculptural landscape, partly defining the project's image. These organic shapes house the inpatient wards, totalling 1.000 beds. The landscape passes underneath the elliptical buildings, and forms gardens and patios with green and water features. The wards are lifted to the level with the most beautiful view. VOLUMES Protected from the direct sunlight and ‘hidden’ in the artificial landscape are all outpatient and paramedical services, around a central public square, with a capacity for up to 6.000 patients per day. On the first floor are all the operating theatres and Intensive care units. A protective roof will combine these specific functions and provides shading and covered outdoor spaces. Sunken gardens and patios provide natural light and offer a certain sense of privacy and safety at the same time. In between the medical floors and the wards, an open level is dedicated for staff and education. The openness of this semi-public level creates exciting views over the sculptural landscape through the building. Special care is given to circulation routes, in the conviction that daylight and exterior views offer the best guarantees for a clear and simple way-finding. Roof openings provide daylight and air, and increase the orientation of the children, relatives and staff. Three vertical circulation shafts form a focal point on the central place. Inside the departments the routes run along patios and atria. The successive spaces, with different atmospheres, form quiet spaces in the public circulation. The wards as separate entities stimulate the readability of the building. The patient rooms are organized around an internal void, creating an oval ground plan with a fantastic view for all the rooms. Daylight penetrates into the building, through the day rooms and family rooms. A back bone connects all elements like a spine.PASSIVE MEASURES Natural cross ventilation uses the wind pressure and stack effect to ventilate the wards. As such, the natural ventilation is more stable on days with less or no wind. It is however advisable to use mechanical ventilation in all medical rooms and also where contamination is to be avoided. Solar shading. All medical department are located under a curved overhang that forms an organic landscape, consisting of structural screening. In this way the solar gains in the patient rooms will be limited, needing less energy to cool the rooms. As a bonus, this type of solar shading does not obstruct the visibility to the outside. Using the thermal mass of concrete walls and floor slabs, night cooling also reduces the energy consumption for cooling. Walls and slabs absorb the heat built up during the daytime, through a combination of solar gain, electronic equipment and user occupancy. As the external temperature drops at night, the building can be cooled by partially opening the vents around the building.Solar energy. Solar panels absorb the sun’s heat and store this energy in a reservoir. The solar collectors have an optimal orientation and slope angle. On sunny days, the solar panels produce 75% of the demand for sanitary hot water. This way, 40% of the heating requirement for hot water is provided by the sun, in a carbon neutral way. In many cities around the world it has been recognized that the most significant ecological advantage of roof planting is storm water management. Roughly 50-60% of rainfall is expected to be retained by an extensive green roof. Any excess water can be collected and stored in a modern rain management system or cistern. As another benefit, the vegetation and substrate layer acting as a water filter; these layers hold back particles, dust, solute pollutants, and even heavy metals. The excess rainwater can then be used to irrigate the roof, used as toilet water, or any other available purposes. The roof can in normal conditions suffer from huge thermal fluctuations on its upper surface throughout the day and through the year. In extreme cases these can range over 100 °C. Planting the roof surface dramatically reduces the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the roof's bare surface. The high daily thermal swings are neutralized and the annual fluctuations are decreased to between 20 and 25°C. Award World Architecture Festival 2011— Landscape Project of the Year